Little place of motivationhttp://vivian.tiiman.com
A journey to becoming a professionalWed, 30 Aug 2017 12:14:35 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2105566135Last day in Rio de Janeirohttp://vivian.tiiman.com/last-day-in-rio-de-janeiro/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/last-day-in-rio-de-janeiro/#respondTue, 23 Aug 2016 13:21:53 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=792The reason that my last post didn’t have any pictures is revealed in this post. 😀 Morning The party ended in the morning. Walking along the Copacabana beach, we decided to have breakfast and then head to the beach. The weather was nice and we had all been up all night. Sounded like a great […]

]]>The reason that my last post didn’t have any pictures is revealed in this post.

Morning

The party ended in the morning. Walking along the Copacabana beach, we decided to have breakfast and then head to the beach.

The weather was nice and we had all been up all night. Sounded like a great idea. Until we all fell asleep and I got my bag stolen…

So yes, it did happen. But luckily, I still did not have anything in there that was much worth stealing, apart from my accreditation card and the pins collected.

But still, the incident kind of bummed me out, but I was happy that my volleyball and shirt (that my team mates wrote on) were in another bag.

A bit later it was time for last hugs and goodbyes and then it was time to go back to the hostel.

Day

When I got back to the hostel, I told my roommates what had happened and then opened my computer. When I opened Facebook I had 2 new messages. From the police.

They told me that they have my bag and that I should go to the 13th precinct.

I was amazed, happy, surprised and still in Rio. As much as I had heard from the media, that never happens here. But once again the media was wrong.

When I got to the police station, I figured out how they found my bag. Apparently, there was a guy in a cafe next to the beach that saw the guy taking my bag. He then followed the robber and saw him taking things out and throwing the bag away. He picked it up and called the police. (They were near, as there is police everywhere in Rio)

It then turned out that they also caught the robber and asked me to identify him. Well… there was a small problem there. I never saw the guy, but luckily, the guy from the cafe did.

It still took around 2 hours of paperwork and sitting around and a fun thing with sitting around when you haven’t slept all night. You tend to fall asleep….

I believe it was a fun sight for the officer typing in my statement, but they were just taking a long time.

I finally got my bag back. It was a bit lighter than before.

The obvious things were missing: phone, camera and wallet (just cash, no cards). But once again, I prepared for that when coming to Rio. But…

I got back my accreditation and pins! And autographs from the Estonian rowing team. And the entry/exit card to Rio. So, exactly everything that I would actually have missed.

Evening

Now I was ready to go back to the hostel and sleep. I got 2 hours of sleep and then it was time to pack. My flight was at 09.00 am.

So, the day didn’t turn out exactly as I thought. The plan was to do some souvenir shopping and go to the Olympic boulevard. That didn’t happen, but I can’t say it wasn’t interesting. Luckily, I had backed up all my pictures from the trip (ofcourse not the last night, so I missed those) and never had much money or stuff with me when going out.

But it was the end of an amazing trip. I learned a lot and figured out that I want to do it again. The people and the moments, everything is unbelievable. The way a volunteer team works opposed to a team that gets paid to do it.

So, my biggest thanks goes to my team at Beach Volleyball. You are amazing and I hope that we keep contact and see eachother soon!

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/last-day-in-rio-de-janeiro/feed/0792Day 11 – Beach volleyball – Grande Finalehttp://vivian.tiiman.com/day-11-beach-volleyball-grande-finale/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-11-beach-volleyball-grande-finale/#respondTue, 23 Aug 2016 11:43:06 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=789Let the last day begin. It is something different about walking to the beach volleyball arena tonight. Maybe because it was the last night… The last shift.. …started with dinner, like the day before and then it was time to move to the tribunes. The experience from last night taught us that journalists come at least […]

]]>Let the last day begin. It is something different about walking to the beach volleyball arena tonight. Maybe because it was the last night…

The last shift..

…started with dinner, like the day before and then it was time to move to the tribunes. The experience from last night taught us that journalists come at least an hour early. The reason is that we have limited places and a lot of journalists that want to work or watch the final games.

Today was surprisingly not that crowded. It might have something to do with the fact that Brazil was not playing till the gold game, which was the last.

The weather was also in the mood to play some tricks on us. All of a sudden, it decided to start raining. Luckily, we managed to cover the tables and monitors and search for cover, but it didn’t stop there. The rain came and went several times and every time the pause was just long enough for people to think that it had stopped raining, but then it started again

So the gold medal match was in rain, but luckily, the mood and spirit of the volunteers was good, even though there were some journalists who wanted more from us. But hey – we can’t fight the weather. :D. In the end, I had some Italian journalists helping to dry the tables and chairs, and to put on or remove covers. It was great team work.

The final games

Bronze game: Russia vs Netherlands men – (Netherlands won 2:0). It was an exciting game but the Dutch guys were still better than the Russians.

Between the bronze and the gold game the veterans of volleyball were playing.

Gold game: Italy vs Brazil men – (Brazil won 2:0). A very close and exciting game. The tribunes were completely full even though it was raining. When Brazil won, the party started. People were jumping and singing and shouting. The players were as ecstatic.

The medal ceremony was right after the gold match. Although it took a while to start, much longer than it did for women. It might have something to do with that Brazil won.

After the medal ceremony, I went back the venue media center to get my volleyball. (That now had 2 autographs on it already) I knew that I would wait until after the press conference, but I didn’t know how long that would take.

The guys were really popular. When the press conference ended, they had another live interview with the Brazilian sports TV. Just mentioning that it all went on around 2 am

But… I reached my goal. I managed to get all 4 autographs (from the Olympic gold winners) on my volleyball. What a souvenir! Not something you can buy in a shop.

The final goodbyes

After the players had left and the media center was getting empty it was time to relax. We all headed to the Olympic family tent for a final party.

We were then playing beach volley with some of the team. It was great!

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-11-beach-volleyball-grande-finale/feed/0789Handball and the Olympic parkhttp://vivian.tiiman.com/handball-olympic-park/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/handball-olympic-park/#respondThu, 18 Aug 2016 16:10:18 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=754As a thank you for doing a great job we got free tickets, I got a ticket to the quarter finals of handball. Unfortunately not to the Danish game. Trip to Barra da Tijuca I left the hostel two hours before the start of the game, just to be sure that I would make it. I […]

]]>As a thank you for doing a great job we got free tickets, I got a ticket to the quarter finals of handball. Unfortunately not to the Danish game.

Trip to Barra da Tijuca

I left the hostel two hours before the start of the game, just to be sure that I would make it. I have heard stories about people standing in crazy long lines and then being able to see only half of the game.

I chose to take the public transport this time, to see how well it works. This required me to take two metro lines and then a special bus to the Olympic park. I took the first metro line until the end and then changed to line 4. The metro line that they built specially for the Olympics and it is four stops long. You can only get to the metro with a valid event ticket or accreditation.

The trip took around one hour and the transfers and guides were really good, so it is probably impossible to get lost. Then a bit of walking and I had reached my destination.

The Olympic park

It is huge!

It is like a city with different venues and sponsor houses and restaurants. The venues are on different levels, so there is a lot to see.

Handball is one of the last venues in the park, so I had to walk through the whole park before getting there. Next to the handball venue, they have a party area. The beer sponsor has put up a promotional party tent with DJs and a bar. Next to that is a so called chill area. There you can sit in the shade and watch the games on a big screen.

The shaded areas were all full of people. All places that had a little shadow was occupied with people. Kids were sleeping in the eating area in the table shadows. The reason was that it was +35 degrees outside and a clear blue sky. So it was really hot. Especially in the Olympic park as it is a flat area with a lot of open space. It is also important to remember that it is winter here in Brazil right now.

I also had lunch here. This is what you get when ordering a pizza and ice tea:

Handball game

The venue was supposed to be opened 90 minutes before the game starts and they urge everyone to come early to avoid standing in lines. Yes, that works on paper but we are in Brazil. Nothing follows a schedule here.

There was a huge line of people waiting to get into the venue. They did not open the gates until 50 minutes before the game start. So much for avoiding lines.

The seat that I got was in a really good sector, right next to the press tribunes. Makes sense.
But a very unfortunate placement. There was the edge of the stairs right in front of me, so I had metal wires blocking my way a bit. The good thing was that when I sat back, then I could see the whole court between the wires.

The sector that I sat in was the most expensive one. But if I would have paid more money to get a better place and then get stuck behind a staircase. That would be annoying. Luckily, I didn’t pay for my ticket.

The game was quarterfinals between Germany and Qatar. The game was really exciting, although Germany took the lead already from the start. They managed to keep the lead and won with more than a 10 point difference.

After the game I took the bus and metros back to the hostel and then it was time to get to work.

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/handball-olympic-park/feed/0754Day 10 – Beach volleyaball women’s finalshttp://vivian.tiiman.com/day-10-beach-volleyaball-womens-finals/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-10-beach-volleyaball-womens-finals/#respondThu, 18 Aug 2016 15:53:52 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=752The countdown begins. There are only two shifts and two nights left of beach volleyball. The evening shift There are only two games during a night, so we no longer have two shifts per day, only one. The evening shift. (20:00 – 02:30 or how long it will go). Today is the last day for a lot […]

]]>The countdown begins. There are only two shifts and two nights left of beach volleyball.

The evening shift

There are only two games during a night, so we no longer have two shifts per day, only one. The evening shift. (20:00 – 02:30 or how long it will go).

Today is the last day for a lot of volunteers, so there was already a lot of goodbyes and hugging.

My shift started with check-in as usual, but today we were not allowed to check-in. They were apparently re-doing the picture from yesterday. No one was allowed to check-in before. Nice!

The reason was that, apparently yesterday, there was too few people on the picture. But there was even less tonight. So go figure. Not sure for what they will use those pictures, or if we’ll ever see them.

I managed to do my check-in half an hour later and then went straight to dinner. Because, I knew that the game time would be really busy and I would not have time.

Today I also brought my volleyball with me to get it signed from the gold medal winners.

The fight for the bronze medal

USA vs Brazil – This was a really close and exciting game. Both the teams put up a hell of a fight. USA was still better though. They won 2:1 and pushed Brazil to he 4th place. Luckily they also had a team fighting for the gold.

The fight for the gold

Germany vs Brazil – The tribunes were full. Completely full. So full that there was a line at the press entrance for broadcasters. They were not allowed at the tribunes until some places open up. Poor them. They were really angry in the line. So it was nice to walk up and down, passing them and seeing the angry faces.

Journalists even showed up an hour before the game, that has not happened so far

The game was not as exciting as the bronze game. I could clearly see that Germany was better. They had sharper moves and smarter serves. The Brazilians tried to put up a fight, but in the last set they just gave up. The Germans won the first set with 18:21. And the last set with 13:21, a really big gap for the finals.

My job during the games

Our team is responsible for taking care of the written press. They all have a distinctive mark on their accreditation cards (Yellow background and codes starting with E). We also supply water to them and try to solve any problems they might run into.

Today was extremely busy. We usually are fine with 2 cases of water, but not this time. Today we even started off with 4 cases. And I still ran up and down 3 more times :D. Plus, I had help.

But it was also around 27 degrees outside and climbing the stairs makes people thirsty.

While I was running around, I offered my help to some journalists. It then turned out that they were from the organizing committee of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics. They asked me if I was a volunteer and where I came from. When I said that I also have signed up for the winter Olympics, I got his business card. He told me to write to him and he can put me to the press team again. Win!!

A bit of trouble

Today was the first time that we encountered obnoxious spectators. There were 2 drunk guys that just couldn’t understand that they are not kings of the world. They had no accreditation on them and they still tried to go down from the exit for journalists and accredited people, they were loud, throwing beer around, etc. The journalists were complaining and we had to do something.

At one point, I was told by a German journalist that these guys had peed in a cup and then placed these cups on the press tribunes, they were afraid that they might throw them at some point.

While I was talking to the journalists, the guys just came into the press area and started taking pictures and disturbing the journalists work. They could not understand why they had to leave and then they started hugging and kissing me on the cheeks and taking selfies. So annoying.

Now it was time for back up. We have security standing on the tribunes just in case. So I found a person that spoke Portuguese and told them the story. We threw away the cups and the security guys promised to keep an eye out for them.

After a few interactions with the armed security, the guys calmed down. Later it turned out that the guys were athletes from the French volleyball team.

After the gold game, I moved from the tribunes to the mix zone. Mix zone is the area where athletes meet the press for the first time for their first interviews. Really exciting.

Today, the plan was that right after the gold game, there will be medal ceremony, then mix zone and then a press conference. In the mix zone, I was checking credentials of people that wanted to get in.

The first hours of thursday but last hours of the night

We had a press conference for the athletes and coaches. It was all in all around 15 minutes and I stood outside the whole time. Only because I needed to catch the German team to get their autographs on my ball. And I did!!! I am now only missing the winner tomorrow and then I have an awesome souvenir.

Everyone has been admiring my volleyball and thought it was an excellent idea and wished they had thought of that.

Even my managers wanted to see and told me it was a great idea. After the athletes left, we were ready to close up for the night.

One night to go and it will be amazing! Tomorrow we will also have a party afterwards, so it will be a late night.

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-10-beach-volleyaball-womens-finals/feed/0752Day 9 – Beach volleyballhttp://vivian.tiiman.com/day-9-beach-volleyball-semi-finals/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-9-beach-volleyball-semi-finals/#respondWed, 17 Aug 2016 02:44:40 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=737Semi finals Today is the day of semi finals. The 2 first finalists were decided in the first games today. And it was a full house. Both at the press tribunes and also spectators. They were important games, because Brazil was playing in both games. Luckily today we were 3 people to stand at the […]

Today is the day of semi finals. The 2 first finalists were decided in the first games today.

And it was a full house. Both at the press tribunes and also spectators. They were important games, because Brazil was playing in both games.

Luckily today we were 3 people to stand at the tribunes and could divide the stairs climbing and water supplying It was nice because it was busy nevertheless.

Today was the first day when we became really strict on who can sit where. That meant that all the broadcasters that could sit behind our tables before, were now banned. They were directed to the chairs that are reserved to them.

They were not happy, but tough life We had enough journalists and they actually had rights to those tables.

The games today

Before the games there were 2 guys scanning the field of play for bombs. We have now entered important games.

Before each game they also played the anthem of both opponents. What I was wondering about was that the anthems of Germany and Netherlands lasted for about 50 sec. But Brazilian anthem lasted 1,5 min. Not very fair in my opinion

Brazil vs Germany women (Germany won 2:0) – This was a huge disappointment to all the Brazilian spectators. The game wasn’t even really exciting. Germans just ruled the whole field.

Brazil vs Netherlands men (Brazil won 2:1) – This on the contrary was probably the most exciting game yet. It was really close. Point by point. Brazil won the first set. They were about to win the second set and then also the game. People were already cheering and leaving the tribunes thinking that the game was over. But no! Netherlands just woke up and said that they will win the set. And they did It was unbelievable.

The spectators were all in shock. So it was down to the last set. Also, really close one. I was already thinking that if they loose now, then it is a really bad day for Brazilians. But they pulled themselves together and managed to win the set and also the game. Dutch guys were devestated. Also understandable as they lost a place in the finals.

During the game we also managed to get the Estonian flag into TV It was not long after that they told Tauri to remove it

After the games

We cleaned up and I also talked to the painter a bit. BBC is going to make a story about him and they were also at the tribunes talking to him today. Really cool. The journalist was amazed how kind and welcoming the painter (Peter Spens) is. He is always willing to answer questions and let people take pictures.

Today he asked me if I had recevied his catalogue. I said no, so he gave me one. Not just that, but he also signed it So I now have his signed catalogue to take home as a souvenir. Not bad!

At 19:20 we had a volunteer group photo time. It was supposed to be yesterday, but no one was allowed at the tribunes, so it was postponed to tonight.

We gathered the whole yellow crew and the photo manager took pictures of all of us. Hopefully I get to see them somewhere. Would be a nice memory.

The weather

I don’t think the forecasters actually know the weather here in Rio. Yesterday was supposed to be nice and no rain. It was windy and raining. Today it was supposed to rain. And it was a really nice sunset and no wind.

Not sure I should trust the forecasts anymore

Anywho, tomorrow I have Handball at 13:30 and then beach volleyball bronze and gold games for women. Super exciting! Stay tuned!

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-9-beach-volleyball-semi-finals/feed/0737Gone with the wind – Beach volleyball day 8http://vivian.tiiman.com/gone-with-the-wind-beach-volleyball-day-8/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/gone-with-the-wind-beach-volleyball-day-8/#respondTue, 16 Aug 2016 01:28:12 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=725First part of the day Today we have reached to quarter finals in beach volleyball. This means that the first game starts at 16:00, therefore I needed to be there at 14:00. The first part of the day I spent walking along the beach, went past the Rio official shop and I bought a volleyball. I hope to […]

Today we have reached to quarter finals in beach volleyball. This means that the first game starts at 16:00, therefore I needed to be there at 14:00.

The first part of the day I spent walking along the beach, went past the Rio official shop and I bought a volleyball. I hope to get it signed by both male and female winning teams, but we will see how that goes.

The weather was amazing and maybe even a bit too warm and sunny, as I was thinking about standing on the tribunes grilling in the sun.

Second part of the day

Today at check-in we received a present. A pin to add to our collections. It was nice of them, although I was hoping to get a beach volleyball pin, but we didn’t get that. It’s probably too valuable. (costs 30 reais in the shop = around 60 DKK or around 8.4 EUR)

I helped around in the venue media center until at 15:00, when we moved to the tribunes. The first game was Brazil vs USA men and as usual we expected a lot of spectators. The only tiny problem was that I was alone at the upper tribunes.

So, as there came a lot of thirsty journalists, I had to run up and down to fill the water supplies, hence I got quite some stair training today.

I was just glad that the sky was cloudy by this time and there was a nice breeze, then I wasn’t cooking.

Gone with the wind

In the middle of the game, a really strong wind picked up. All of our table covers and monitor covers started flying around. Eventhough, we had tied them well. There are some ropes that have disappeared or untangled so they are impossible to tie and these covers were now flying and disturbing the journalists.

At this point, I had Mark (press tribunes manager) and another girl helping me, but the covers are really vicious. I got slapped a lot when they just flew into my face. One time the cover decided to just hit me in the head. Funnily enough, it happened at the exact moment when Alessandro (press operations manager) came to ask me how I was doing. Not so well at that point, but otherwise great.

The wind also affected the flags and light poles. They had just put up the flags again this morning (after taking them off in the preliminary games due to heavy winds) and I felt sorry for them, thinking that they have to take them down again, because all flags were coming loose. Well to be honest, everything was waving in the wind… also the posts with projectors.

Today a camera fell on top of some spectators in the Olympic stadion, hopefully we won’t have projectors falling at beach volleyball.

The wind was strong enough that they evacuated the upper tribunes during the second game. All spectators were moved to the lower tribunes, I stayed with the journalists and right after the game they all also ran away.

Not all of the journalists took their stuff with them. Two journalists left their computers and bags on the table and went down to interview the players. We waited and covered the tables until they returned and were happy to find their stuff still there.

But really bold of them for leaving their stuff just like that, without telling anyone.

The games today

USA vs Brazil men (Brazil won 2:1) – Very exciting game. USA gave a great battle to the Brazilian team, but were defeated.

Netherlands vs Netherlands men (Netherlands won 2:0) – It is funny with two teams from the same country. It is weird to choose a side to cheer for. No matter what one team from that country will still get further to semi-finals.

Evening

After emptying the tribunes, I went to the media center to see when the dinner time started. Today I was working late enough to get a a dinner ticket instead of lunch. Dinner started at 18:30 and when I went there, I waited in a long line. I have not seen that big of a line before, but that was probably because no one was allowed at the tribunes.

Dinner is kinda like lunch. Still dessert, salad, main course. But with the difference that there was also soup. I didn’t take it – it was Asparagus soup. It haunts me even in Brazil.
And desserts here are unbelievably sweet.

After dinner I went back to the media center. It was planned the at 19:30 they will take a picture of all volunteers on the tribunes. But as no one was allowed there, that didn’t happen.

I got home a half an hour earlier and I was happily walking until it started raining. The weather was not my friend tonight.

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/gone-with-the-wind-beach-volleyball-day-8/feed/0725Trio to Riohttp://vivian.tiiman.com/trio-to-rio/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/trio-to-rio/#respondSun, 14 Aug 2016 21:52:42 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=711Today is my day off but I still woke up early. This was because today was the big marathon day. Trio to Rio time! Trip to Sambodromo I had breakfast, put on my Trio to Rio shirt and was ready to find the metro station. It was the second time I used the metro here […]

]]>Today is my day off but I still woke up early. This was because today was the big marathon day. Trio to Rio time!

Trip to Sambodromo

I had breakfast, put on my Trio to Rio shirt and was ready to find the metro station.

It was the second time I used the metro here in Rio and this time it was for free. All volunteers received a transport card when picking up their uniform. This allows us to travel for free with public transport during the Olympics.

It took me a bit to figure out where exactly I had to show the card. They had many different places. One machine for every possible transport card they had. So I went through almost all of them until I found the right one.

The ride to Sambodromo took about 20 minutes and I met another volunteer there. He is a technician at sailing. He comes from USA and was also at the Sochi Olympics. It is so cool to see peoples reactions when I tell them that I volunteer at the beach volleyball arena. They are all so jealous. Well it really is amazing there

Getting to the venue from the metro station took max 5 minutes and then past security. All in all 10 minutes and I was at the arena.

My seat was right next to the start and finish gate. Awesome, I thought at first, but then realized that I would have wanted to be on the other side. All the athletes that finished went past the other side and not my side.. so I did not manage to congratulate the triplets.

The marathon

The start was given at 9:30 am and I managed to see the sisters a bit before they all took their places for the start. They looked happy and cheerful.

The tribunes were filled with fans from Peru, Chile, Japan, Brazil, Portugal and Columbia. And then one for Estonia. I regret not bringing the flag.. that would have made me much more visible and also offered some sun protection.

The weather was harsh on the runners. It was clear blue sky and really warm. Not really a preferred running weather. It was also really hot to sit at the tribunes, but I had my book and they had some entertainment, the time flew by.

When the women were on the 1/2 marathon mark, we got a samba performance from various samba groups that train at Sambodromo. It was colorful and dancy. Every Brazilian knew the lyrics to the songs and were also dancing on the tribunes.

The Estonians were also in the big screen. The commentator mentioned that Estonia is making Olympic history with triplets competing at the marathon.

The finish

It was an exciting finish with Kenya taking the first place, Bahrain second and Ethiopia on the third. Then there was another Ethiopian and then Belarus and USA.

The winning time was 2 hours 24 minutes 04 seconds.

The winners ran up and down the Sambodromo corridor with flags and celebrated while others were finishing.

The Danes came first with Jess Draskau-Petersson on the 40th place with 2 hours 36 minutes and 14 seconds and Anna Holm Baumeister 55th place with 2 hours 39 minutes and 49 seconds.

There were different kind of finishes. There were those that sat down and were tired. Second group were those that required medical attention and were carried out of the arena. The third group of athletes looked like they could do it all over again.

Although, all runners did receive a cold water and Gatorade bottle and a wet towel. Those that needed more, got a water bottle poured on them by the medical team.

Our first triplet to finish was Lily Luik! She made it to the first hundred! 97th place with 2 hours 48 minutes and 29 seconds. Super!

Second was Leila Luik with 114th place and time: 2 hours 54 minutes and 38 seconds.

It took a bit but then came Liina running through the finish line. I actually found out on the media that she had quit half way. To me it seemed like all of them finished.

They got a flag and were hugging each other and jumping around. Then they started to dance samba and the crowd started cheering and taking pictures.

The first big hug they also got from the chairman of the Estonian Olympic Committee – Urmas Sõõrumaa. After taking pictures and dancing samba to the spectators, there was a lot of journalists that were standing in line to interview them. The Estonians were very really really popular.

When walking back to the metro station, I heard people talking about them. They were really excited and amazed. I guess the Luik sisters made a few people go home and Google Estonia for the first time.

It was an amazing event full of emotions and action. Tomorrow back to beach volleyball. 4 more days to go!

One thing that I did notice was the difference between the two venues (marathon and beach volleyball). Marathon was very quiet and the hosts didn’t really manage to get the crowd going. Also the interviews didn’t seem natural. It is completely different at beach volleyball.

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/trio-to-rio/feed/0711Day 7 – Beach volleyballhttp://vivian.tiiman.com/day-7-beach-volleyball-game/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-7-beach-volleyball-game/#respondSat, 13 Aug 2016 23:30:06 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=695Morning It wasn’t raining today. Whooohoo! I have a day off tomorrow and then 4 days left, so I decided to have my clothes washed for the last time. I found a really nice local laundry shop that is on my way to the arena. They are really nice there, even though mostly we communicate […]

I have a day off tomorrow and then 4 days left, so I decided to have my clothes washed for the last time. I found a really nice local laundry shop that is on my way to the arena. They are really nice there, even though mostly we communicate by body language.

Once again there were a lot of people training on the beach. But one thing was different today, the waves were huge. It was a really cool sight to see them crashing into the sand. I don’t think that I have ever seen that big waves before.

The first games started at 11. As the weather was really nice, we also rolled up the table covers at the tribunes. This is a nice little task as it gives time to talk to the other team members and also managers. Rolling the covers doesn’t take much effort and then it is nice to hear about the lives of the other team members. (For example: Our press operations manager Alessandro is attending his 5th Olympics. Really cool!)

Right after the first game, I ran down to the media center to see the results of the disc throwing finals. I reached there just for the last round and it was really exciting. Too bad that we did not get a medal, but we were not far from it.

Games today

Brazil vs Spain men (Brazil won 2:0) – A very exciting first game. Also brought a full house at the tribunes. Both a lot of spectators and also journalists. Spain was fighting really hard, but Brazil was much much stronger.

Canada vs Canada women (Canada won 2:0) – It is funny to write. And to see how people cheered. There were still some Canadian fans that cheered for one team and not the other. But yes, it was a really short game. One team was clearly better than the other. At least they have 1 team in the quarter finals.

Germany vs Switzerland women (Germany won 2:0) – Good game, again a short one. Although there was a bit more action that in the previous game.

The painter

As I have written before, we have a painter at the tribunes. He is painting a picture of the venue (he did that for London 2012 too). It is looking awesome and in my opinion it will be done soon. Al though Alessandro (press operations manager) and Pedro (venue manager) told me that he might not be done anytime soon. He is even a bit short of time and hopes to be done before the games end.

When spectators leave after the game, they walk past him and discover the painting. Some take pictures or just look and find it amazing. But there are also some that really want to talk with him. He doesn’t speak Portuguese and does not like to be disturbed while working. So in the end we were playing bodyguards to keep away the annoying spectators.

We did talk about putting up a fence and a sign saying, “Do not disturb, genius at work.”

Afternoon

I left a bit earlier today as I needed to pick up my laundry. (They closed at 5 and the place is not opened tomorrow.) Before I did that I also met up with an Estonian volunteer that gave me a TriotoRio shirt. As I am the only one going to the stadium for the marathon, it would be nice to have the shirt in camera. :D.

There are also others supporting our triplets, but they will be standing on the streets. So tomorrow morning at 09:00, I will be at the home of Samba cheering for our triplets. It is going to be exciting. This is my first Olympic event as a spectator.

Before I left my manager also asked to talk to me. They had some free tickets to different events and he wanted to know when I had a day off. I said tomorrow, but he didn’t have any tickets then. So I got 2 free tickets in the end – for men quarter finals in Handball on the 17th (hopefully Denmark is playing then) and womens wrestling on the 18th.

Really cool and excited to go see the events. This is their way of thanking us for doing a good job.

So, tomorrow morning I will be at the Sambodromo arena cheering for the marathon. Really exciting!

Some pictures of a broadcastin employee whose job I would not volnteer for Although the view must be amazing

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-7-beach-volleyball-game/feed/0695Day 6 – Beach volleyballhttp://vivian.tiiman.com/day-6-beach-volleyball/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-6-beach-volleyball/#respondSat, 13 Aug 2016 01:11:49 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=691Morning From now on my schedule will be a bit different from what is was before. (08 – 17) It is because the games are reaching the final status and there aren’t that many games left. 🙂 Today, I started at 9, which was really good as we had the medal party last night. And now […]

From now on my schedule will be a bit different from what is was before. (08 – 17) It is because the games are reaching the final status and there aren’t that many games left.

Today, I started at 9, which was really good as we had the medal party last night. And now I can also have the hostel breakfast instead of buying extra. Win!

I had the pleasure of walking along the Copacabana beach in rain. Now I really realized how uneven the pavement there is ….after stepping into several puddles and feeling the oceans in my shoes.

There is a rain coat in the volunteer kit, it is good and covers everything but the feet. And they were really getting wet.

I arrived at the venue and was ready to let my feet dry. It turned out that I was smarter than some people. They thought that the volunteer jacket is waterproof and just wore that one. They arrived completely soaked.

As it was raining, we didn’t open up the tables but did throw the water out. Then we had our feet wet again. Amazing how durable technology actually is. The monitors we have on the tables have survived melting, rain and hard winds and they are still working.

Also the powerplugs had a shower.. and there were journalists that refused to use them, afraid of getting shocked. The technicians came by and told them that the plugs work fine.. they should just use them, even if there comes water out of them. Welcome to Brazil!

A few hours later the sun came out and so did the journalists. At the Germany vs Brazil womens game there was an overflow of volunteers and spectators, also journalists. It was also an important game – it decided who will go on to quarter finals.

The games today

Today, I got to see the games at a closer point than usual. Still at the press tribunes but just the lower ones. They are right behind the Olympic family seats and very close to the field.

Brazil vs China women (Brazil won 2:0) – The first game of the day. Brazil was clearly better.

Russia vs Qatar men (Russia won 2:0) – Eventhough the result was the same, game was much better. Qatar really fought hard for the points, Russia was just a bit better and won the game.

Austria vs Cuba men (Cuba won 2:0) – Another exciting game. The crowd clearly cheered for Cuba but there were also some Austrian fans in the crowd.

Brazil vs Germany women (Brazil won 2:0) – A game that filled the tribunes with volunteers, journalists and spectators. Very exciting and brutal game. The Brazilians really brought their A-game today and got a certain win. Although, Germans didn’t give it up very easily.. there was always only just a few points in between.

After the game and while talking to the press the German girls were really emotional. It is understandable as they had just lost a place in the quarter finals.

Some moments from today

]]>http://vivian.tiiman.com/day-6-beach-volleyball/feed/0691Estonian medal partyhttp://vivian.tiiman.com/estonian-medal-party-in-ipanema/
http://vivian.tiiman.com/estonian-medal-party-in-ipanema/#respondFri, 12 Aug 2016 23:43:31 +0000http://vivian.tiiman.com/?p=668Estonian medal party Yesterday at 20:00 was the official medal party for Estonian rowers. They opened Estonia’s medal score with a bronze in rowing (4 men team). We were about 30 – 50 people, so we kinda took over the whole pub, which freaked out the manager. He did not expect anything like that. They […]

Yesterday at 20:00 was the official medal party for Estonian rowers. They opened Estonia’s medal score with a bronze in rowing (4 men team).

We were about 30 – 50 people, so we kinda took over the whole pub, which freaked out the manager. He did not expect anything like that. They also had a huge line outside of people that were waiting for a table, but they did not get one.

The party was hosted by the Estonian Olympic Committee and almost all officials, media, volunteers and some athletes were there.

It was a blast. Only one problem…. I forgot to add a memory card to my camera. Oh I got mad. This was a really bad moment to not have a useful camera. Oh well… I have to live with just my memories and autographs of the medalists.

As people were ordering drinks and moving around to different tables the waiters were really confused and panicked about how the bills should be in the end. Also when people asked for a bill for what they ordered, they got a bill for the whole table (or as we pushed the tables together.. a bill for 4 tables).

The Estonian Olympic Committee was kind enough to pay for the drinks and food of the volunteers, so thank you!

Athletes entered the stage

About an hour after we all had arrived, our bronze medalists arrived. We greeted them with a huge applause, singing, speeches and gifts. Then everyone had the chance to make pictures with them and get a closer look at the medals.

In the dimmed light in there, the medal looked golden.

Then, I also took a chance to ask for autographs.. as Vivian forgot her memory card.

Last part of the evening

All volunteers that were there had a photo shoot of their own. It is so amazing how many we actually are here in Rio. And divided between many different venues: horseback riding, beach volley, tennis, gymnastics, swimming.

It is cool to hear others experience and what they have been up to. Also talked to a volunteer guy that got robbed.

He had just finshed his shift at the Olympic arena and was waiting for a bus. All of a sudden a motorcycle stopped in front of him and the guy sitting on the back got off. He took a gun out and started waving it while telling Margus to give him his bag. When they got that they got greedy. He also told Margus to empty his pockets and give him his shoes. But as he was emptying the pockets his phone fell to the ground and the screen broke. They didn’t want it anymore.

At this moment the driver called to the other guy and they drove off. Probably it was taking too long. So they only got his bag with things that can easily be replaced. (accreditation, keys to his apartment)

He is doing fine now and glad that they just got his bag.

Around midnight people started slowly leaving. But as Allar Levandi had his last night in Rio, he was not ready to go home. He ordered tequila shots to his table.

We were not missing drinks either. Somehow every time a beer jug was emptied, another one arrived. The last beer we had to share around the table.. because no one actually ordered it.

At 00:30, the last of the volunteers left. (Me with taxi, everyone else with Uber).